Wednesday, February 22, 2017

I am so
excited that the SHERLOCK BONES series
by Lauren Baratz-Logsted releases today and that I get to share the news!

If you
haven’t yet heard about these wonderful books by Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted,
be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz
also includes a giveaway for a pair
of Great Dane socks and Dog or Cat treats for your Fur Babies, US Only
courtesy of Month9Books.
So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of
this post.

The Adventures of Sherlock Bones turns snooping on its floppy ear when
one day, Dr. Jane Catson, a surgeon injured in the Cat Wars has an afternoon
nap interrupted by a most unusual occurrence.

On the front lawn of her home, rather loud footsteps disturb her peace as
Sherlock Bones, a Great Dane in a deerstalker claiming to be the greatest
detective in the world arrives.

After a quick critical examination of the intrusive dog whose enormous
body blocks the entire sun from view, Catson has her doubts. But that’s not
all. The monstrously-sized creature makes an even more astonishing claim. He
has come to live with her!

Before Catson can collect her thoughts into an intelligent rebuttal,
Sherlock Bones has made himself quite at home, inventing things like a jetpack
for her Castilian housekeeper-cook, a turtle named Mr. Javier and placing his
gigantic food and water dishes next to hers.

But there’s no time for protest. The great detective and Dr. Catson have
caught themselves their first case: A suspiciously dead human in a nearby
abandoned building. Can Sherlock Bones and Dr. Catson crack the case before the
killer strikes again? Or will their differences get in the way of solving Case
File No. 1? One thing’s for sure, that would be a doggone shame.

After being introduced to Sherlock Bones, the Greatest Detective in the
World, in Case File #1: Dogged to Death, Dr. Jane Catson - surgeon and veteran
of the Cat Wars - is back to share an all-new mystery adventure with readers.
Despite all of Jane's resistance, Bones is now living with her and her
housekeeper/chef, the turtle with a jetpack, Mr. Javier. This time out, the
mismatched duo's investigations lead them to a case involving murder, of
course, and - wait for it! - Utah. If there's one thing readers can be certain
of it's that in this world, the animals are always smarter than the humans.
Also, did we mention...Utah?

Excerpt:

“You can’t be serious!” I practically shouted, outraged.

If a murder really had been committed, I couldn’t believe he wasn’t going
to do anything about it. I also couldn’t believe that I was arguing with him
about this. I’d never wanted to get involved with him and all his craziness in
the first place.

“Oh, but I am, my dear Catson.”

My dear … Who did this dog think he was?

“And why is that, Bones?” I demanded, determined not to let my right eye
squint.

“Because I am tired of not getting credit.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Here’s how this kind of case always goes: a crime, usually murder,
occurs. The professional, public detectives—the so-called ‘experts’—are called
in. They fail to solve the case. Then I am called in. I solve the case, but
they take all the credit. End of story.”

As he spoke, his eyes shifted sadly from me to the floor to studying his
toenails.

I found myself, for the first time, starting to feel sorry for him. Then:

“Wait,” I said, this time letting my right eye go ahead and twitch.
“You’re not going to investigate, you’re going to let a murderer run
free—because your feelings are hurt? Because you feel you don’t get enough
credit?”

“Well,” he said, now looking slightly embarrassed, “yes, that is exactly
what I plan to do. Or rather, not do.”

“You can’t be serious! If you think you can help, it is your duty to do
so!”

“I suppose … ” His eyes met mine. “Do you want to come with?”

“Come with where?”

He eagerly un-crumpled the crumpled piece of paper.

“There,” he said, pointing to an address.

I thought of my lunch, which was still sitting on the table. I thought
longingly of the cushion in front of the bay window, my nap long overdue. And
then I thought of the adventure of potentially aiding to solve a murder. I must
confess: I was curious. It also occurred to me that perhaps since returning
home from the Cat Wars, my life had been a little dull.

“Fine,” I said, mildly exasperated with myself.

“Great,” he said, all smiles once more. “I’ll go get my hat.”

About Lauren:

Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the author of over 25 books for adults, teens
and kids, including The Sisters 8 series for young readers which she created
with her husband and daughter. She lives in Danbury, CT, with that husband and
daughter as well as their marvelous cat, Yoyo.

Synopsis:
Everyone in the islands of O’Ceea has a magical ability: whatever they imagine can be brought into existence. Whoever becomes a master over these powers is granted the title of magician and is given fame, power, riches, and glory. This volume of books follows the journey of a group of kids as they strive to rise to the top and become members of the Magician’s Workshop.

Layauna desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical powers, but all she can seem to do is make horrible, savage monsters. For years she has tried to hide her creations, but when her power is at last discovered by a great magician, she realizes that what she’s tried to hide might actually be of tremendous value.

Kai just wants to use his powers to have fun and play with his friends. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on his island sees him as a bad influence, so he’s forced to meet them in secret. When one of the creatures they create gets out of control and starts flinging fireballs at their town, Kai is tempted to believe that he is as nefarious as people say. However, his prospects change when two mysterious visitors arrive, praising his ability and making extraordinary promises about his future.

Follow the adventures of Kai, Layauna, and a boatload of other characters as they struggle to grow up well in this fantastical world.

Synopsis:
Return to the world of The Magician’s Workshop: Where Dreams Become Reality.

In Volume Two, the Festival of Stars has finally arrived, and the Color Ceremony is about to commence. As children from all over the islands gather to stand before a puller, one question remains: who will have a Color, and who will be found void?

Rejoin your favorite characters as they step forward and receive a label that will have the power to dramatically alter the course of their lives forever.About the Authors:

Christopher Hansen

The first glimmering Chris Hansen had that there was far more to reality than he had ever imagined occurred six days after his ninth birthday. “Christopher!” cried a wise, old sage. “Life is full of deep magic. Miraculous things happen all the time and all around us, if you know where to look for them.” Full of expectation and childlike optimism, Chris began searching for this magic, prepared to be surprised and amazed by it. And he was: he found Wonder! Now he’s chosen to write stories about it.

J.R. Fehr

When J.R. Fehr popped out of the womb, he knew there was more to the world than the four boring hospital walls that he was seeing. “Zango!” his newborn mind exclaimed as he saw people appear and disappear through a mysterious portal in the wall. As a child he found life wowtazzling, but as he grew older the cold water of reality hit him, and the magic he once knew vanished. After spending some wet and shivering years lost in a joyless wasteland, he once again began to see magic in the world. He writes because the Wonder of true life is far grander than anything he ever thought possible.

Monday, February 20, 2017

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a C
over Reveal for
Crystal Marcos's new picture book, Bartholomew Buggins
: A Zombie with
Different Cravings. The cover reveal will take place
on February 20,
2017.

Watch the Book Video

About the Author

Award-winning author Crystal Marcos has been a story
teller her entire life. As the
oldest of five children, she had to do a lot of entertaining.
She lives on the Kitsap
Peninsula in Washington State with her husband, daughter Kayle
e, and toddler son Jaxon.
Crystal is the author of Middle Grade Readers, BE
LLYACHE: A Delicious
Tale and HEADACHE: The Hair-Raising
Sequel to BELLYACHE, Young Adult Novel, No
vus
(The Cresecren Chronicles, Book 1), and Children
’
s Picture
Book, Bartholomew Buggins: A Zombie with Different C
ravings.

Childhood is considered to be the best time of one’s life. What if you get a chance to live it once more with a five-year-old? Misry, a naughty five-year-old girl, lives with her parents in a B.S.F border outpost near Indo-Bangladesh border. But with no schools and friends she feels very lonely. She tries to befriend some local village kids. But they find her incompetent in their rural antics. They nickname her Messy as most of the time she messes up their plan. Can Misry really be a part of the gang? Set in the early eighties, join Misry in the adventures of her life.

Buying Links:

Amazon kindle Nook Kobo

About the Author:

Paromita Goswami is a writer and storyteller by passion and a rebel by choice. She says the world is full of stories and as a writer she loves to pen them down. Her work is not genre specific. From literary fiction to children book to upcoming paranormal thriller and women fiction, Paromita Goswami‘s books offer the variety of life to her readers. Grow Up Messy! is her second book. She debuted in 2015 with Shamsuddin’s Grave, a literary fiction. Besides writing, she is also the founder of reading club that enhances book reading habit in children. She lives in central India with her family.

Fun Facts about the characters in the book:

1. Madhavi is a Bengali lady from a middle class family. She is born and brought up in a small town on the outskirts of Howrah in a very secure and loving atmosphere. She has an elder brother, elder sister and a younger sister. Her father is a professor of Botany and her mother is a housewife. Her marriage to Anurag, a B.S.F officer introduced her to an entirely different lifestyle that she had neither dreamt of nor seen before. Nevertheless, she succeeded in adapting the new lifestyle of being a military man’s wife which was more or less full of uncertainty and waiting. She discovered another side of her personality where she is the actual storehouse of strength for her man who has responsibilities beyond his family needs to attend to. There is also a different avatar of her as an officer’s wife where she has to motivate the soldier’s wife’s to be self reliant and confident as a part of the welfare association programs. When Misry walked into her life, it was an entirely different experience for her. Mothering a naughty little girl was not easy. There were times when she even competed with the Head Cook of the Langar to win her child back.

2. Anurag is a B.S.F officer who knows how to balance between his personal life and his duties towards his job which is more demanding. When he had married Madhavi, Anurag wasn’t sure how she would match up with his lifestyle. However, under the spell of his love she had settled in no time and metamorphosed into an officer’s wife who knew very well how to control her emotions. Anurag made sure she was always well taken care. Therefore he always made arrangements beforehand when he might not be around for some time. When Misry announced her arrival he knew he was going to miss part of her growing up years because of his nature of job. So he made sure that whenever he spent time with her it would always be a memorable moment for both of them. Watching the night sky together laying in a cot in the courtyard or telling her adventure stories from his own life during bed time or always considering her opinion above all were some points Anurag never missed. He knew raising a kid was not an easy job when he himself was not present always on several occasions. So he had his own ways of incorporating values and discipline in his naughty daughter that she adored and obeyed him without any second thoughts. There were several occasions in the book when Misry’s endeavour made Anurag doubted if he was a good father or not.

3. Misry the main character of the book is just like any other child but with a difference that she is quite naughty. However, her innocence wins over all heart. She maybe just five year old but loves to befriend boys older than her. Tomboy as she is, she gets into serious trouble with other boys in school and it is really interesting to watch how she comes out of
such situation. Her little pranks can drive anyone crazy. Like an episode of Bheeru, the child from the village, where Misry lures him with a dairy milk chocolate to get back into the children’s gang but actually ends up somewhere else. Her funny fights with her cousin Raju is another hilarious moment. Grow Up Messy! is all about being a child.

4. Surbhi, Madhavi’s elder sister and Raju’s mother is another character to watch out for. I especially like her more. She is a home maker and lives in Kolkata with her husband and younger son, Raju. A middle aged lady who is more focused on getting worried rather than finding solutions. There is no doubt that we all have come across one such character once in a life our family. One who is disdained to worry for everyone else in the family. Surbhi is one such character in the book loving nicknamed as Chintamani. Though she doesn’t have much role in the book but it is great to watch out for her. I am sure to give her a good role in the sequence.

5. Dadu and Dida, Misry’s grandparents, Madhavi’s parents. Just like any other grandparents they also love to shower their love upon their grandchildren. There are some hilarious and touching moments in the book when Misry comes to visit them. How life is so different in this sleepy town of Ashoknagar is definitely to look out for in the book.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

When Ladybug receives an invitation to a picnic, she prepares a basket of treats to share and sets off into the garden. On her way, Ladybug notices several bugs in need. She happily stops to help them, but worries she won’t make it in time. When Ladybug finally reaches the picnic, she discovers a sweet surprise!

Author Bio:

About the Author/Illustrators:

Anabella and Sofia Schofield are sixteen-year-old twin sisters and best friends. When asked in preschool what they wanted to be when they grew up, both responded, “A ladybug!” Their goals have changed, but they’re happy to be writing about a ladybug now! Ladybug’s Garden began as a project the authors wrote and illustrated at age thirteen. In their spare time, Anabella and Sofia enjoy reading, writing, watching movies, photography, music, and art.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Today N.R. Bergeson and Month9Books are
revealing the cover and first chapter for THE MAGNIFICENT GLASS GLOBE which
releases April 4, 2017! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to be one of the
first readers to receive a eGalley!!

A quick note from the author:

I keep a map in my hallway
with pins marking every place I’ve ever lived or visited. As of today, I’ve lived
in seven different countries, and visited 65. As I stared at that map one day,
contemplating where I’d go next, the idea for The Magnificent Glass Globe came
to me. Not only do I wish I had a magic globe of my own, but I wish that
everybody would take advantage of modern opportunities to expand their
horizons, gaining a deeper understanding of the wider world we live in. So many
of the problems we face in this world are the product of different groups of
people who don’t understand one another. Well, there’s no better way to solve
that problem than to go where others live and getting to know them in their
world. My hope is that the Glass Globe will continue to take kids around the
world, giving them a taste of life in faraway places, and a better view of the
all the adventures this world has to offer.

Eleven-year-old Mary Tucker dreams of
visiting the Amazon. But if her father, a museum curator, has his way, she
might be a grandmother before she ever gets the chance.

One day, while mischievously exploring
the museum’s warehouse with her brother Ike and best friend Helen, Mary
stumbles across an old travel trunk belonging to her grandfather.

Inside, they discover an nondescript
glass globe. Curious about the simple object, Mary touches the globe, and is
shocked when the room is suddenly consumed by the most amazing view of Earth.

The magnificent globe lets the friends
zoom closer and closer toward the earth’s surface, eventually bringing them
close enough to touch the trees. That's when the globe entirely disappears, and
they find themselves falling.

Suddenly, they're far from home, in
place that's either a paradise, or the place where they will die.

Sleep, water, and food become precious
and scarce. A native tribe may hold the keys to their survival as well as clues
to help them get back home. But it won’t be easy. The rain forest is a big
place, and when others find out what the globe can do, Mary, Ike and Helen will
need a plan, allies, and a little luck.

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Hide and Seek in the Museum

“We’re ready,” Mary said, as she and Helen adopted running stances.

Ike turned to the wall and covered his eyes.

“ONE!” he counted aloud.

With that signal, Mary took off, running at full speed across the museum. Her best friend jogged alongside with ease. No matter that they were the same age—Helen’s long, athletic body was the reason others often mistook the eleven-year old for a teenager.

“… TWO … Three … four!”

“You keep going,” Helen whispered.

From the corner of her eye, Mary watched Helen disappear as she veered into the African pottery exhibit. Mary pushed ahead, her kinky dark hair bouncing as she went.

A feeling of unexpected pleasure bubbled up inside her as she ran. A broad grin spread from ear to ear.

Now’s the time, she thought. It’d been a while since this feeling had last come.

She closed her eyes briefly, imagining the place she longed to see above all others. As she reopened them, the marble floor turned to dirt beneath her feet. The white walls of the museum sprang forth into lush greenery as leaves and vines covered them. The transition took only seconds, and soon Mary was no longer running through the museum.

She was back, flying on her feet through the rainforest. It really had been too long.

“Ha ha!” she laughed, upping her speed a notch.

Mary felt free and fearless, leaping over fallen logs as she bounded through the jungle. Glancing to the left, she saw two lanky monkeys, swinging from branch to branch and hooting excitedly as they matched her speed. The air felt steamy, and beautiful rainforest noises echoed all around.

Mary turned sharply to her right, rounding a wide tree. Ike would never find her now.

An unexpected light appeared in front of her eyes, catching her off guard.

Huh? she wondered.

And with that momentary, out-of-place thought, it was over. The trees around her vanished, returning to the dull, darkened corridors of the museum.

“No!” she cried in despair. “Come back!”

Mary tried to pretend otherwise, but this adventure hadn’t been real.

“I’m in the Amazon. I’m in the Amazon,” she urged herself, straining to get the engine of her imagination to turn over.

It was no use. Whatever had been working before was gone now. All she could conjure up were vague images, like black-and-white photographs that vanished into smoke before she could get a good look at them.

I’m probably getting too old for this, she thought. She’d be twelve soon, after all. Did all imaginations stop working at twelve? Without hers, who would she be?

It’s all because I’ve been spoiled.

Spoiled by the museum. Not that she’d change anything. She likely wouldn’t have formed her imagination in the first place if not for this place. As the curator’s daughter, she’d practically grown up here. But maybe it’d caused an overload. The fires of her mind burned too hot, and she’d used up the finite amount of imagined adventure her brain had to offer.

Mary reluctantly accepted, yet again, that the museum was only a museum. Not the real thing. Just a place that could provide glimpses of what she might find in faraway places. Places that weren’t here, where she was, and probably always would be.

“Ready or not, here I come!” Ike called from the distant wing of the empty museum.

Oh yeah, she remembered. Hide and seek.

Mary began looking for a place to hide. Ahead, that light which had yanked her out of the rainforest shone brightly. It took a moment to realize what it was. As she did, her spirit swelled, and her smile returned.

“My lucky day,” she said, walking toward the light.

She might not be able to will her imagination back, but Mary knew another way to get the results she craved. It kind of felt like cheating, but at this point, she’d take what she could get.

In front of Mary was her favorite thing in the whole museum. The beautiful world map, illuminated by the spotlight, hung proudly on the corridor wall.

Almost immediately, she felt that familiar tugging sensation. The black-and-white photographs didn’t vanish right away. She sighed in satisfaction. There it was.

Faraway places.

Adventures. All thanks to the map.

The rest of what the museum had to offer might be losing its potency, but the map was still an effective way to stimulate the imagination. Something about it, and all maps for that matter, could always draw her in.

Nearly ten feet high and twenty feet wide, the stunning map filled the entire wall. It showed the world in amazing detail. It even had pictures of plants and animals lining its border. Each was connected to a spot on the map by a red line, indicating the native habitat of the plant or animal. As always, Mary dreamed that simply touching the map could magically whisk her away to any place she desired. She wouldn’t need her imagination then. Then she’d have it all right in front of her.

In the back of her mind, Mary again remembered the game of hide and seek.

Just another minute, she told herself. It would take her little brother a while to find her, especially since he wouldn’t come looking in these darkened exhibits alone. She had time.

And she needed this.

One bright picture caught her eye, as it had countless times before. A large, spotted cat climbed along a green log in an even greener jungle. She looked at the description and read:

The Amazon jaguar (Panthera onca onca) is one of the largest predators living in the rainforest basin. Accurate numbers are difficult to estimate, but they are very rare, and seldom seen by humans.

A line connected the picture to the heart of the Amazon. Reaching up, Mary traced it with her finger.

“Right there,” she said, tapping her finger in the middle of the rainforest. “That’s where I want to go.”

Her mind’s eye began to produce the rainforest once again, as creeper vines sprung from the surface of the map and wrapped around her wrist. The melody of chanting birds and monkeys filled the air.

Deep down, Mary understood the solution to her problem. She had for a while. Her imagination wasn’t dying. It’d only matured, just as she had. Babies could live on milk, but as they got older, they needed more variety in their diet. Her younger imagination could produce the adventure she craved when fed by the interesting artifacts of the museum, but it needed something more now.

She needed to be fed the real thing.

This was why she’d been begging her parents for the chance to really go somewhere. To keep her imagination alive and healthy.

“Yes, I think it would be an interesting place too,” said an unexpected voice from behind.

Mary yelped as she spun around, startled by the intruder.

All traces of her imagined rainforest vanished yet again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” apologized the janitor.

The tall, aging man pushed a wide broom across the floor. His white hair was trimmed short and neat, much like his narrow white mustache. It matched his pale skin. Mary had seen him before, but had never spoken to him. He hadn’t been working at the museum for long.

“So, you like to travel?” the janitor asked, revealing his slight accent.

She tried to remember the man’s name.

“Yes, well, I think so,” Mary stammered, her heart still racing from the fright he’d given her. “I’ve never actually gone anywhere.”

“And why the Amazon?” asked the janitor. “You like hot weather?”

“I don’t know,” Mary said. “Maybe because there’s more life in the Amazon than any other place on earth. But I think I’d like to go anywhere, really.”

The janitor stared at her again for a moment, smiling awkwardly in a way that only made Mary feel uncomfortable.

“I wish I could have adventures,” she admitted. “But if my father has his way, I’ll be here forever. He’s not a fan of traveling.”

“Well, that’s understandable,” the janitor replied. “After all, adventures don’t come cheaply. And they take time. Maybe it’s best to just imagine adventures here in the museum.”

Yeah right, she thought. Easier said than done.

“That’s what Dad always says,” Mary replied. “But it’s not the same.”

Not anymore, she added silently.

“I’ve been around the world a time or two,” the janitor said. “It can be more trouble than it’s worth. But maybe things will get better. Perhaps in your lifetime, people will be able to travel wherever and whenever they desire, and in the blink of an eye.”

Mary laughed, realizing she’d only just been wishing for the same thing.

“That would be nice,” she said. “But with my luck, it still wouldn’t work for me.”

“I’ll tell you this,” the janitor said. “Whoever discovers a way to make it happen will become very rich, and powerful.”

“Well, maybe I need to start studying harder so I can be the one to discover it,” she said.

“Not unless I discover it first,” replied the janitor.

A strange greedy look enveloped him, his eyes reflecting like fire in the spotlight. The change in his demeanor caught Mary off guard.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

The janitor shook his head slightly.

“Oh, nothing,” he said. “I’m getting old, so I say strange things sometimes. I should probably get back to work. Have a nice night.”

Before Mary could respond, he turned away abruptly, and resumed sweeping his way down the dark hallway and out of sight.

Mary wasn’t sure what to think about the exchange. There certainly was something strange about that janitor. She shrugged, and turned back to the map.

As soon as she did, her imagination flooded back to life, but only for a few seconds. Voices echoed from somewhere in the museum, jolting Mary’s memory and reminding her of the game. Hastily, she tore away from the map, desperately seeking for a place to hide.

It was too late. Before she could even step away, Helen and Ike emerged into the corridor. Standing below the map’s spotlight, Mary had nowhere to go.

“I found you,” Ike said sarcastically. “Nice hiding spot.”

“Oh man, not again!” Helen said, slapping her palm to her forehead.

“I’m sorry,” Mary replied. “It’s just that I—”

“We know,” Helen said. “You and your map thing.”

“It wasn’t just that,” Mary said. “That old janitor came by and started talking to me, and I couldn’t hide until he left.”

“Well, so what?” she said in defense. “You can laugh all you want, but if I’m going to start traveling the world soon, I have to be ready. So stop making fun of me, and maybe I’ll let you come with me.”

Ike and Helen didn’t share her enthusiasm. Helen pretended to yawn, as if bored.

“Whatever you say, Magellan,” she teased. “If you ever do travel the world, you’ll need me there anyway to get your wimpy butt out of trouble whenever you find it. Until then, can we at least have fun while we’re stuck here?”

“Who’s not having fun?” said a man’s voice.

Into the corridor stepped Lewis Tucker, chief curator of the Charleston World Museum.

“That’s impossible,” he continued. “A closed museum, all to yourselves? It’s the happiest place on earth!”

“I think you’re confused with Disneyland, Dad,” said Ike.

“We were playing hide and seek, but Mary quit on us in the middle of the game,” Helen said. “She got lost in one of her map fantasies again.”

“Oh she did, did she?” Dad turned to Mary and raised a questioning eyebrow. “What was it this time? The Trans-Siberian railroad? The Australian outback?”

“Dad, I really want to go to the Amazon!” she blurted out. “You know my twelfth birthday is coming up next year. Maybe we could make it a family trip?”

“Now hold on there, Mary,” Dad interrupted with a laugh. “We’ve talked about this time and time again. You know how expensive and difficult it is to take a big trip like that.”

“I know, but I’ll do anything you ask. I can do extra chores for a year, or I could … ”

Mary could tell by the smile on his face that he wasn’t taking her seriously.

“Dad, if we send Mary to the Amazon, can I have her room?” Ike asked.

“Nobody’s going to the Amazon,” said Dad. “For crying out loud, your own father runs one of the biggest museums in all of South Carolina. We can enjoy places without actually having to go there.”

“But Dad! Please? Will you at least think about it?” Mary begged.

“I’m sorry, my girl,” Dad said. “But the only place we’re traveling to right now is home for dinner. If we don’t get there soon, your mother might banish me to the Amazon. Let’s not hear any more about this traveling nonsense, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” Mary said, deflated.

There had to be some way to convince him. Pestering Dad for months on end to let her travel was clearly not working. “Not until you’re older,” she was always told. But Mary didn’t think she could be that patient. It wouldn’t be easy to convince Dad to change his mind, and she knew her dream was a big one. But she was smart enough to find away. Maybe she was just going about all wrong. Maybe if she started smaller …

“If we can’t go to the Amazon, could we at least go to Disneyworld?” she asked, flashing her father a big smile.

“Oooohhh, I’d like to second that motion,” Ike said, also beaming.

“I volunteer to come as a chaperone,” Helen offered.

“Why me?” Dad said, raising both hands into the air while talking toward the sky.

Mary and Ike laughed as they said goodbye to Helen, who waited as her father, the museum’s head of security, locked up the building.

I’ll find a way to convince him, Mary told herself as she buckled her seatbelt.

If there was a way, she’d figure it out. After all, she’d never given up on anything before.

N. R. (Nils) Bergeson is the author of
the “Magnificent Glass Globe” series. Nils was born in California but spent his
childhood at the foot of the beautiful mountains of northern Utah. From an
early age, he was fascinated with the wider world, prompting him to earn a
degree in international studies from Utah State University, followed by a
Master’s degree in Public Administration/International Management from the
Monterey Institute of International Studies. He knew early on that his
interests were as wide as the world itself, and that he’d find real joy living
overseas. Since 2002, Nils has only spent four years living in the United
States. He was a missionary in Siberia, spent time in Romania as a U.S. Peace
Corps Volunteer, and has worked for several years in Colombia, Kazakhstan,
Afghanistan, and now Indonesia as a U.S. diplomat/international development
worker. He’s traveled to more than 60 countries with his wife, Emily, and their
three young children. Nils’ love for writing, which began in the second grade,
complements his globetrotting ways well. He hopes his writing will instill a
desire in his readers to take advantage of modern opportunities to see the
world, learn new languages, and expand their cultural experiences. We live in a
wonderful world, and it’s just waiting for us to see it.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the children's book series Dream Horse Adventures written by Susan Count. The blast will run February 7 - 9, 2017.

About the Books

Title: Mary's Song (Dream Horse Adventure Book 1)Author: Susan CountGenre: Children's FictionNumber of Pages: 122Publisher: Hastings Creations GroupRelease Date: October 20, 2016Book Description: Mary’s heart breaks over the pending destruction of a beautiful, but damaged filly. When life is not fair, the courageous challenge the obstacles. Twelve-year-old Mary was disabled at the age of four by the same virus that took the life of her mother. While she longs to have a horse of her own, she’s limited to reading horse books. A talented artist, she spends her days on a blanket in the grass sketching the horses at the farm next door. She falls in love with one of the foals and is outraged to learn the filly is considered worthless as it was born lame. Mary befriends and enlists the help of twelve-year-old Laura, whose family owns the horse farm. Against the better judgment of the farm manager, a brief reprieve is negotiated for the foal’s life. The girls conspire to raise money to save her, but time is running out. Sadly, it appears the expensive surgery the foal needs has little chance to correct her problem anyway. Mary isn’t about to give up. She sacrifices what she holds dear, including the trust of her papa, to gain her heart’s desire. Will she lose everything in her struggle to save the foal?

Title: Selah's Sweet Dream (Dream Horse Adventure Book 2)

Author: Susan Count

Genre: Children's Fiction

Number of Pages: 198

Publisher: Hastings Creations Group

Release Date: December 15, 2015

Book Description: American Horse Publications - FIRST PLACE - Equine Fiction..... Feathered Quill - GOLD Award..... Readers Favorites - GOLD Award..... Twelve-Year-Old SELAH (Say-la) aspires to be an equestrian superstar. That would require a horse. HER DILEMMA: Grandpa wants nothing to do with horses. THEN: Selah sees buzzards circling the grasslands behind Grandpa’s farm. They are stalking a horse trapped in wire and Selah is its only hope. DANGEROUS: The horse is wild and defiant - jeopardizing Selah’s dreams. FOILED: The legal owner searched for the horse for two years and wants it back. BUT: Selah is confident that God will provide her heart’s desire. MEMORIES: Grandpa shows Selah a video, from long ago, of a phenomenal equestrian. Selah declares that she wants to be like her and Grandpa explains the rider was her grandmother. HOPE: A world renowned horse trainer offers to train SweetDream and Selah. FOILED AGAIN: Her parents could ruin everything unless Sweet Dream’s unruly behavior ruins it first. LOST: Selah’s opportunity to mirror the equestrian talent of her renowned grandmother evaporates when the horse causes mayhem at the trainer’s facility. NEVER GIVE UP: Will Selah gather her courage and face up to the trainer to save her aspirations?

About the Author

One day...I began to write with no preconceived ideas about anything. I’d read what I had written the day before and add another scene to the adventure. No one could have been more astounded than I was when it turned into a book. The whole process gave me great joy and restored my spirit after a season of loss. My motivation was my desire to bless one particular young lady with a story to show her a love relationship in a family, with the Lord, and with a horse. I truly thought the story would remain in a drawer until she was old enough to read it. Surprise.

I write at an antique secretary desk which belonged to the same grandmother who introduced me to horse books. The desk has secret compartments and occupies a glass room with a forest view. Bunnies and cardinals regularly interrupt my muse, as do my horses grazing in a clearing.

Though I am a rider and lover of horses, I make no claims of expertise in any riding discipline. I hope that my research keeps me from annoying those who would know.

The only thing more fun than riding might be writing horse adventure stories. Saddle up and ride along!

Dream Horse Adventure Series Giveaway

Prize: One winner will receive a copy of Mary's Song and Selah's Sweet Dream

Giveaway ends: February 22, 11:59 pm, 2017

Open to: US and Canadian Residents Only

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Imagine if all the little girls of the world looked alike.
If the Same Glam Goddess gets her way, it can surely happen.
McKenzie Rivers, the pint-sized daredevil, and Lizzie Sanders, who loves all things frilly, aren’t afraid of being different. And that’s exactly why Princess

Lovina of Exquisite City calls upon them to stop the Same Glam Goddess from making all the little girls of the world look the same. With the aid of their magical lovely lockets and fierce diva weaponry, Lizzie and McKenzie will travel the world to find the Seven Crystals of Sisterhood. Their first stop is the magical city of Madrid.

Lizzie and McKenzie will need help to obtain the crystals before the Same Glam Goddess gets her hands on them. If the crystals are not found, little girls all over the world will remain under the spell of the Same Glam Goddess and will lose their identities forever! Will Lizzie and McKenzie be able to find the crystals, break the spell, and stop the Same Glam Goddess?

Author Bio:

Dina Tate is the President and Founder of GlobalGirlsSquad LLC a publishing and technology company. Her first book which combines her love of travel and japanese animation is titled “Lizzie and McKenzie’s Fabulous Adventures”.